Capitalism, socialism, communism?

The difference is in who to trust, greedy CEOs or self-interested politicians. Is there a middle ground?

By Jack E. Lohman

As a former CEO with 40 years in the health care industry, I lean toward capitalism. But since retiring I’ve gotten a closer look at our politicians and I don’t like what I see.

Most American politicians (though not all) are corrupted by the special interest money that helps them get re-elected. The longer they are in the worse they seem to get. (But there ARE a couple of honest ones!)

Had I an employee or member of the board, who took outside money and gave away corporate assets in return, I’d have had them jailed. But in politics we seem to expect it, though they do the same thing.

The extremes…

Communism is a dictatorship not at all welcome by free minds, and socialism has allowed politicians to give away the store to get re-elected. But it’s not as “terrible” as some on the right would have you believe. Their main flamboyance (that I know of and approve) is government-paid health care and upper education. Both can be abused, and “too much of a good thing” has drained their economy.

The happy medium?

How about “politicians who are not on the take?”

How about free-market CEOs, but with “regulations that prevent legalized thievery from the public AND shareholders?”

How about politicians who comply with the laws they pass for the rest of us, rather than placing themselves in an Ivory Tower?

The first is the most important!

100% turnover in November

Public funding of campaigns (cost = $5 per taxpayer per year)

Term limits (double the length, limit to ONE)

5 year restriction on lobbying (member and staff)

Reforms on redistricting

Implement STOCK Act

Members subject to all laws they pass for the people

Live with it, or fix it. But it will have to be done by the voters; the Fat Cats and politicians like things the way they are.

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Click on the book for that page, if you really want to know why our nation's economy went into the toilet, this book will help you follow the special-interest money that promises even more of the same.
($11.95 with shipping, or free to libraries) or download a free copy (.pdf HERE) or (.doc HERE) or (.mobi HERE) or (.epub HERE)
Thanks much to Robert Hallsey, who does independent publishing (rhallsey@yahoo.com)

Subjects

Subjects

On Health Care….

“It never ceases to amaze me, the amount of energy that can
go into a project just to avoid doing the right thing. The best,
simplest, least costly, most effective thing we could do is
expand what has been working so well for years, Medicare.
You get sick, you get care, and the caregiver gets paid.
Nothing could be simpler. But follow the money and you’ll
find why the politicians don’t like it a bit. They get their money from insurance interests.” Jack Lohman

On health care….

"America will always do the right thing, but only after everything else fails." Winston Churchill

On Politicians….

"As a business owner, if I had an employee giving company assets to outsiders in exchange for money on the side, I'd fire him. Perhaps even have him jailed. In any other venue we call it bribery, payola and theft. But in the American political system, we call it freedom of speech. We don't jail them, we re-elect them." Jack Lohman

On Energy….

"Since the Arabic OPEC conspiracy has eliminated all pretense of a capitalistic free market, the U.S. should create its own energy supply with a taxpayer-funded exploration division. Contract it to the lowest private bidder, if need be, but introduce some real competition into the system." Jack Lohman

On Elections….

"Unfortunately our political system has fallen, not to the Republicans or Democrats but to the corporate interests that fund their elections. And that is not going to change in November. The only real solution is a complete turnover at the state and national level. We need voter-initiated term limits." Jack Lohman

On Privatization….

"Privatization is the political preference because private corporations can give campaign contributions and government entities can't. We are paying ten times the dollars for Blackwater, Bechtel and Halliburton to perform the same functions our troops could be performing in Iraq. Why? Because the US Army cannot give campaign contributions. Get the political money out of the system, and if privatization continues because it makes more sense than creating another government bureaucracy, then fine. But if it continues because political cash is flowing, then it likely wasn't needed in the first place." Jack Lohman

On HSA’s ….

"It is well known that most medical expenses come in the later years. What do you think the CEOs of your HSA are going to do when you start needing this more expensive care? They are going to start denying it, just as they are today. That’s why there are no HSAs for the elderly. If you plan to be one of us someday, you best ensure that Medicare remains alive and well." Jack Lohman